THE Amcap/New Holland WA State Country Football team has made a disappointing start to their campaign at the Landmark Australian Country Football Carnival with no wins on the board after the first day of competition.
The carnival – being held in Canberra until Sunday 25th July – features seven teams from WA, NSW, SA, QLD, ACT and Victoria (Vic Major and Vic Districts) and according to West Australian Country Football League General Manager, Cameron Knapton, the team are very disappointed to be the only group without a win after day one of the carnival.
“It’s fair to say we’re all pretty disappointed,” said Mr Knapton.
In a new format for the national carnival, games of two 17 ½ minute halves are being played over the first two days of the competition. WA’s first game was against defending champions, ACT and after kicking the first two goals the West Australians were overrun losing by 25 points. The final score was ACT - 6 goals 7 behinds 43 to WA – 3 goals straight 18.
WA’s Jarrod Martin kicked two goals and the best players were Adam Spencer, Clinton Rudd, Troy Ditchburn and Daniel Lewis.
The next game saw WA take on South Australia and costly errors late in the game saw them lose by nine points - SA 4.5.29 to WA 3.2.20.
According to WACFL General Manager, Cameron Knapton, the WA team just didn’t make the most of their opportunities.
“It was a really close contest but unfortunately we didn’t take advantage of the chances we had late in the game,” said Mr Knapton.
Dominic Foster kicked 2 goals and was named amongst the best players for WA along with Jarrod Martin, Simon Duckworth and Greg Sanders.
In the third and final hit out of the day, the WA side came up against NSW and once again were on the wrong end of the scoreboard when the final siren sounded with NSW running out winners 5.3.34 to WA 4.2.26. The game was highlighted by a big hang taken by South West Football League’s Daniel Lewis – an effort that put him amongst the best players along with Troy Ditchburn, Simon Duckworth, Jarrod Martin and David McKinlay. The only multiple goal scorer for WA was David McKinlay with two six pointers.
The WA side will now have to regroup and focus on the three matches they have tomorrow against the two Victorian sides (Vic Major and Vic Districts) and Queensland.
